Caves
by floral-sparrow
Summary: "It would be selfish of me to want to sleep in my own bed! I'll go stay at Boober's tonight." Slash, one-shot.


Things never really turned out like you thought they would, Boober decided.

After an exciting and fulfilling day of laundry, cooking and disinfecting the immediate area around his cave, the small fraggle was preparing for bed. He had been internally debating the best methods for cleaning radish stains - _if it's really bad, maybe it's best to treat with cold water first, then work detergent into it to remove the residue _- when a familiar voice cut through his laundry-induced reverie.

"Oh _Booobeeerr_!"

Boober heaved a small sigh. This being Fraggle Rock, naturally something had to interrupt him. The high-pitched voice belonged to Wembley, who would probably want help making a decision of some sort. Perhaps Gobo and Red were fighting again, and were making him choose sides. Or Mokey needed his opinion on which of her paintings to showcase in The Great Hall. Or the Trash Heap had given him conflicting advice. Or-

"Hiya, Boober!" cried Wembley, bursting in through the doorway.

"Hi, Wembley." came the monotone reply. "What do you need help with?"

"Oh! Well, actually, what with Gobo's Uncle Matt being home and all, he needed a place to stay, and so I kinda let him have my bed and I thought, _gee, Red and Mokey's cave is full, so why don't I go see if I can stay at Boober's_?" Wembley said, his face full of far too much wonder and excitement for this time of night.

"Oh." Well, that was different. Boober had skipped the welcoming celebration in favour of cleaning. He wasn't much for parties, anyway - loud music, too many people crammed into one space. Why that was anyone's idea of a good time was beyond him. "Well, sure, Wembley. I was just about to go to bed."

"Great!" cried Wembley, respectfully avoiding the pile of socks on the floor as he walked over. "The celebration really tired me out. Gobo sure is glad to have his Uncle Matt back, though!"

"Mmm. That's nice." Boober tried to stifle a yawn as he removed his hat. It wasn't that he didn't care, really - it had just been a long day. He crawled into bed, leaving enough room for Wembley next to him. Fraggles were affectionate creatures, and often shared living spaces and beds. Although Boober wasn't like most fraggles, he didn't particularly mind the company tonight.

Despite this, it was still a bit of a shock when Wembley cuddled up close to him. Of course, Wembley was the youngest in their group of friends, and still needed that constant closeness that the others had grown out of. Boober wasn't much older than him - he was the closest to Wembley in age - but he had never been the touchy-feely type, anyway. Too many germs.

"Thanks for letting me stay in your cave tonight, Boober. Goodnight." Wembley muttered, already half asleep.

"Goodnight," replied Boober, still shocked. He laid there awkwardly, unsure of how to hold himself with someone this close to him. Wembley was laying on top of Boober's right arm, head on his shoulder, already fast asleep. Boober willed himself not to think of all the germs he could be at risk to.

He laid in the dark, the world silent except for Wembley's soft breathing. He couldn't help but be amused at how quickly his friend had fallen asleep. Of course, he was young and had been partying, but despite all that it would have taken Boober much longer to drift off. It always did. He usually sat in his bed, staring at the cave ceiling and contemplating his life for hours before his eyelids began to droop. There was just too much to worry about in the world.

Wembley wasn't like that, though. Sure, he could worry and wemble and fret, but he would solve his problems and move on, returning back to his cheerful self in no time. It seemed that, despite his somewhat anxious nature, nothing could really keep him down. Boober wondered what made him so different - why he would continue to agonize over something long after it had passed. He would still flash back to moments where he had embarrassed himself and cringe in humiliation, even if the incident had taken place years ago. He wondered what Wembley's secret was.

The little fraggle seemed to take things so easily. Boober thought of the way he had immediately snuggled up to him, without even worrying if it would be awkward or uncomfortable. He was just so _innocent_ and _good_, completely untainted by all the darkness and dreadfulness that Boober saw in everything.

His innocence and excitement made Wembley fun to be around. Really, out of their group of friends, Boober enjoyed being around Wembley the most - he was easy to talk to, and would at least feign interest in any subject. Gobo saw Wembley as a little brother, Red always wanted to be around Gobo (whether she would admit it or not), and Mokey loved everyone all the same. But it was Wembley he gravitated towards, whether it was discussing their friend's crazy adventures or occasionally getting into their own shenanigans. It was usually Wembley who dragged out his rare laughs and smiles, and Wembley who he went to first when something was wrong.

Boober wondered if Wembley felt the same. After all, he had elected to spend the night here instead of bunking with someone else. His bed wasn't even that big - Gobo's was surely bigger. Out of any fraggle in all of the Rock, it was Boober that he went to. He smiled to himself in the dark, enjoying the warm feeling in his chest.

Boober sighed again, although this one was much more content. Moving slowly and carefully, he turned and placed his other arm around Wembley, pulling him closer. His right arm was feeling pretty cramped, tucked under the small fraggle's body, but it didn't really matter. That was one thing he wouldn't worry about right now.

No, things never really turned out like you thought they would, Boober thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep. But maybe, just sometimes, that was okay.


End file.
